Editor answers email after over 9 months.

[Myword]

I need to mention that yesterday a journal editor finally told me to send in my article--
after I emailed him over 9 months ago. I forgot all about it. Could an email get lost that long? The article has been sitting, not sent out. Journals don't publish much on it anymore.
You think the editors changed their mind and decided to read it?

[mamselle]

From submission to rejection at a place that had invited my paper took two years, once...

M.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I need to mention that yesterday a journal editor finally told me to send in my article--
after I emailed him over 9 months ago. I forgot all about it. Could an email get lost that long? The article has been sitting, not sent out. Journals don't publish much on it anymore.
You think the editors changed their mind and decided to read it?

I am not sure I understand the situation. Did you submit the article over 9 months ago or simply an inquiry about the suitability of the paper for that journal?

[Myword]

The latter.

[nescafe]

A journal solicited an article from me after I gave a conference paper last fall. I submitted the article last December. It's been 12 months now. They still haven't gotten back to me about the *initial* review.

I emailed them about the article last month. They returned a one-liner about the article still being under review.

I'll probably pull the piece if I don't see movement by the end of January.

There is a lot of this going around (I guess this is my point, though I share my experience in commiseration).

[youllneverwalkalone]

The latter.

In that case, unless that journal is the only possible venue for your paper, I guess you only have yourself to blame.

[fast_and_bulbous]

A journal solicited an article from me after I gave a conference paper last fall. I submitted the article last December. It's been 12 months now. They still haven't gotten back to me about the *initial* review.

I emailed them about the article last month. They returned a one-liner about the article still being under review.

I'll probably pull the piece if I don't see movement by the end of January.

There is a lot of this going around (I guess this is my point, though I share my experience in commiseration).

I've had mostly bad luck with solicited articles - especially from unknown journals.

I now decline all solicited article requests unless they are from respected journals, as there is too much predatory stuff going on these days. My basic rule these days is say no if they ask and to be very very wary of open access journals - read the fine print on these. The way I see it is I should have to be the one "asking" to be published, not the other way around.

I'm in STEM, FYI, things may be different for other fields.

[Parasaurolophus]

That's a long time.

But I think there's a lesson here: just send the paper in, and if it's not suitable, they'll reject it (and if it's unsuitable for the journal, it'll be a desk rejection, which is faster). It probably won't take up nine months, and it's not worth sitting on your finished paper for so long.

[saramago]

That's a long time.

But I think there's a lesson here: just send the paper in, and if it's not suitable, they'll reject it (and if it's unsuitable for the journal, it'll be a desk rejection, which is faster). It probably won't take up nine months, and it's not worth sitting on your finished paper for so long.

Indeed.

[nescafe]

A journal solicited an article from me after I gave a conference paper last fall. I submitted the article last December. It's been 12 months now. They still haven't gotten back to me about the *initial* review.

I emailed them about the article last month. They returned a one-liner about the article still being under review.

I'll probably pull the piece if I don't see movement by the end of January.

There is a lot of this going around (I guess this is my point, though I share my experience in commiseration).

I've had mostly bad luck with solicited articles - especially from unknown journals.

In my case, it's a well-known journal, but one that had just undergone a change in editorial staff. I am thinking that's the problem.